Use of new, renewable energy seen to increase by 50% in 10 years

The Department of Energy (DOE) expects the electricity generated by new and renewable energy sources (NREs) to increase by 50 percent over the next 10 years.

DOE assistant secretary Francisco Benito, in an interview, said for the period 2003-2012, the DOE is projecting that from the current level of 4,499 megawatt (MW), the NRE capacity will be increased by 2,225 MW from 2003 to 2012.

NREs include geothermal energy, hydropower, and other indigenous resources such as wind, solar, ocean and biomass.

The DOE said the additional capacity will come from Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) and Northwind Power which are expected to put up 40 MW and 25 MW wind power projects in Ilocos, respectively.

Another 800 MW will come from new geothermal power plant projects in Leyte and some 40-60 MW from additional geothermal fields in Kanlaon.

More than 1,000 MW is expected to be generated from hydro-power projects during the 10-year period.

Some 50 MW will come from the proposed biomass project by Bronze Oak in Victorias, Negros Occidental.

Based on the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP), geothermal energy, which will con-tinue to contribute significantly to power generation within the period under review, is seen to displace a yearly average of around 25 million barrels of fuel oil equivalent (MMBFOE) of imported fuel.

Hydropower, on the other hand, is expected to displace an average of 12.9 MMBFOE of imported fuel annually.

Among the indigenous resources of the country, there remains a high expectation that other renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, ocean, and biomass will steadily contribute at least a quarter of the country’s total energy supply for the 10-year period.

For 2003-2012 PEP, demand for other renewable energy in the next 10 years is seen to increase at an average of about 2.8 percent annually. Total energy demand for 2003 will be 81 MMBFOE, increasing to 91.1 MMBFOE in 2007 and further to 104.1 MMBFOE in 2012.

The contribution of other emerging re-newable energy systems such as wind, ocean and solar will increase from 0.6 MMBFOE in 2003 to 3.0 MMBFOE in 2012.